The invention relates to a heating and/or air-conditioning installation having at least one de-icing outlet comprising at least one opening close to a window, for example the windscreen of the vehicle, and at least one air-diffusion element with a low output per unit surface area and at least one element for distributing air between at least one de-icing outlet and at least one said air-diffusion element.
A device of this kind, intended for the windscreen and the dashboard of a vehicle, is known from European Patent Application EP 713 792, published on May 29, 1996. Here, air is apportioned by a flap.
According to this patent application, two air-diffusion elements are provided on either side of the console of the vehicle, and these elements have surfaces with a large number of holes at a high density per unit surface area so as to provide air diffusion at a low output per unit surface area and a low speed in such a way that the passengers in the vehicle do not feel the displacement of the air as such, allowing the vehicle to be heated and/or air conditioned while maintaining passenger comfort. These perforated surfaces are formed, for example, from a plastic or elastomeric material with an open-cell structure or from a structure having through openings of small diameter or microholes. A perforated film can likewise be used.
A distributing flap controls the passage of the air in an all-or-nothing way either into a de-icing duct for the windscreen or via air-diffusion elements arranged on the upper part of the dashboard.
The de-icing duct occupies a certain area of the dashboard but is used for only a relatively small proportion of the time, solely for de-icing or demisting the windscreen.
The idea on which the invention is based is to make use of the area of the de-icing outlet or outlets to provide diffusion at a low output per unit surface area in such a way as to increase the effectiveness of this diffusion and/or reduce the total area of the openings in the dashboard.
To this end and according to a first aspect, the invention relates to a heating and/or air-conditioning installation comprising at least one de-icing region having, in particular, at least one de-icing opening provided in a wall of the vehicle, close to a window, and at least one air-diffusion region with a low output per unit surface area, in particular an air-diffusion element fixed relative to the said wall of the vehicle, and at least one element for distributing air between at least one de-icing region and at least once said air-diffusion region, wherein at least one said air-distributing element, for example a flap, has at least two positions, namely:
a first position, in which it blocks the air supply to at least one air-diffusion region to ensure de-icing and/or demisting of the window, for example a windscreen,
a second position, in which it partially blocks the air supply to at least one said de-icing region in such a way that the output per unit surface area via at least one de-icing region corresponds to diffusion at a low output per unit surface area in such a way that at least one de-icing region and at least one air-diffusion region simultaneously provide air diffusion at a low output per unit surface area.
Partial blocking of one or more de-icing outlets by one or more guiding elements, for example flaps, provides an additional flow of air at a low flow rate which, even if it does not have the desired properties for multipoint air diffusion at a low output per unit surface area or xe2x80x9cgentle diffusionxe2x80x9d, the principle of which is described in the prior art cited above, nevertheless does not have any disadvantages since this additional flow of air adjoins a main air-diffusion flow provided by one or more air-diffusion regions. The mixing of these two flows thus takes place in a uniform manner and without the passengers perceiving the displacement of the air as such. In particular, where the additional flow is generated between the main flow and the window or where the additional flow is surrounded by the main flow, this main flow of air generated at a multitude of points forms a screen for the additional flow of air. In other words, all the advantages of air diffusion at a low output per unit surface area via a surface with numerous small openings and/or a porous surface are preserved.
It is advantageous that, in the second position of the air-distributing element or elements, the said air diffusion via at least one de-icing region is at an output per unit surface area substantially equal to the output per unit surface area of at least one above-mentioned air-diffusion element.
At least one distributing element can likewise have a third position, in which it blocks at least one de-icing region.
At least one de-icing region can be an opening in an internal wall of the vehicle, and at least one air-diffusion region can be an air-diffusion element fixed relative to a said wall of the vehicle.
At least one air-diffusion element can border at least one de-icing outlet over at least part of its length.
At least one air-distributing element can be an air-distributing flap hinged about an axis situated on a joint line between at least one de-icing outlet and at least one air-diffusion element.
The above-mentioned object is likewise achieved by the invention according to its second aspect, which relates to a heating and/or air-conditioning installation comprising at least one so-called de-icing region close to a window and at least one air-diffusion region with a low output per unit surface area, and at least one element which is intended for distributing air between at least one de-icing region and at least one air-diffusion region and has at least one first position, in which it blocks at least one air-diffusion region, and at least one second position, in which it blocks at least one de-icing region, wherein at least one air-distributing element, for example a flap, is perforated and/or porous, such that when it is placed in the said second position in which it blocks at least one de-icing region adjoining at least one air-diffusion region, the output per unit surface area via at least one de-icing region corresponds to a low output per unit surface area, such that at least one de-icing region and at least one air-diffusion region provide air diffusion at a low output per unit surface area.
According to this second aspect of the invention, when at least one distributing element blocks at least one de-icing element it adjoins at least one air-diffusion region and, being in the extension of the latter, the total area of the openings thus provided on the upper surface of the dashboard, for example, combines to give multipoint air diffusion at a low output per unit surface area referred to as xe2x80x9cgentle diffusionxe2x80x9d and thus to the comfort desired for the passengers.
It is advantageous that when at least one air-distributing element is placed in the said second blocking position, the output per unit surface area via at least one said distributing element is substantially equal to the output per unit surface area via at least one air-diffusion element.
At least one de-icing region can be an opening provided in an internal wall of the vehicle, and at least one air-diffusion region can be an air-diffusion element fixed relative to the said wall.
At least one air-diffusion element can border at least one de-icing outlet over at least part of its length.
At least one air-distributing element can be an air-distributing flap.
At least one air-distributing flap can be hinged about an axis situated on a joint line between at least one de-icing outlet and at least one air-diffusion element.
At least one air-distributing element can be capable of displacement by translation opposite the said de-icing and air-diffusion regions. In this case, it can likewise have one or more openings and/or one or more air-diffusion zones with a low output per unit surface area which are positioned at the desired locations in this way by translation of at least one air-distributing element.
The installation can then be characterized in that at least one air-distributing element has:
at least one opening corresponding to the contour of at least one de-icing region to ensure de-icing and/or demisting;
at least one air-diffusion zone with a low output per unit surface area to ensure diffusion at a low output per unit surface area via at least one air-diffusion region and/or at least one de-icing region.
It can likewise be characterized in that the air-distributing element has at least one impermeable zone arranged between at least one opening and at least one said air-diffusion zone.
The air-distributing element, which is capable of displacement by translation, is preferably a film coupled to distribution rollers to allow the said displacement.
In general terms, the invention allows control of the distribution of air to be shifted towards the diffusion module, thus allowing a ventilating/de-icing/demisting conduit which is common and hence of reduced cross section to be used between the heating/air-conditioning device proper and the diffusion module.
At least one de-icing region can be arranged between at least one air-diffusion element and the window or can be surrounded by at least one air-diffusion element.
At least one air-diffusion element can be arranged between at least one de-icing region and the said window.